Maribor je ne glede na svojo majhnost kulturno zelo pestro mesto. Kako življenje v Mariboru doživljanju ljudje, ki so se k nam preselili iz bližnjih ali daljnih krajev, kaj jim je tukaj najbolj všeč, na kakšne ovire so naleteli pri selitvi v Maribor in zakaj je bilo vredno vztrajati, pa si boste lahko prebrali v obliki Medkulturnega bloga. Premierno tokrat predstavljamo Oyo Ocak iz Turčije.
[SLOVENSKO]
Neodločna o svoji prihodnosti, ki bo tako velika, da bo spreminjala svet, a obenem trdna v svojih prepričanjih, stališčih in željah. Oya je v Slovenijo prišla po nova znanja s področja ekonomije dela in alternativne ekonomije, Maribor pa je zanjo vstopna točka na obisku po poteh Evrope za kooperative. Izžareva svobodo in temperament, medtem ko neomajno zre v smeri svojih ciljev, ponosno brani svojo dediščino, hkrati pa nesebično podaja roko tistim, ki njeno pomoč najbolj potrebujejo.
Zakaj si izbrala Slovenijo?
Že osem mesecev sem v Mariboru zaradi Erasmus študentske izmenjave. Fakulteta, ki jo obiskujem v Turčiji ponuja izmenjave s Slovenijo, Portugalsko in Nemčijo. Izbrala sem Slovenijo, ker je majhna država in v bližini drugih. Tudi na univerzi so mi svetovali, naj se odločim za Slovenijo, saj so ljudje prijazni in vlada enakopravnost. Všeč mi je tukaj, točno tako je, kot sem si predstavljala. Sicer je v Mariboru samo ekonomska fakulteta, moj študij pa dejansko zajema ekonomijo dela.
Se življenje v Mariboru zelo razlikuje od življenja v tvojem domačem kraju?
Niti ne, saj je narava podobna kot v Turčiji, tudi hiše so podobne, reka teče skozi kraj, kjer živim. Ljudje v Mariboru pa me ne spominjajo toliko na domačine, saj so ljudje v našem mestu vedno nekje na prostem, veliko se družijo, tukaj pa so individualisti, zadržujejo se v hišah. Nenavadno se mi zdi, saj večkrat opažam, da je na ulicah zelo malo ljudi. Mislim, da ljudje delajo in po službi gredo takoj domov, vsak dan kot delajo kot stroji. Včasih se s prijatelji šalimo in ugotavljamo, kako potujejo, z avtomobili ali z letali, saj nikogar ne vidimo na ulicah. Nekaj podobnosti pa sem vendarle opazila. Starejše gospe običajno veliko sprašujejo, vse jih zanima, radovedno gledajo za menoj, in tako je tudi v kraju, odkoder prihajam. Morda se tako domače počutim tudi zato, ker je hkrati z menoj prišlo skoraj 50 študentov iz Turčije. Z njimi se družimo, vendar imam tudi veliko slovenskih prijateljev.
Je v Mariboru kaj, kar ti je posebej všeč?
Všeč mi je Vetrinjski dvor, Čajek, MKC, Slovenska filantropija. S prijatelji imamo tudi skrivno mesto, vendar ne vem, kako se imenuje. Nahaja se blizu Gosposvetske ceste, kjer živimo, vendar naj zaenkrat ostane skrivnost. Veliko je dobrih slaščičarn. Zelo rada jem sladoled, zato sem preizkusila skoraj vso ponudbo, vendar mislim, da je najboljša na Smetanovi ulici.
Ali ti ustreza podnebje?
Vreme je zelo nenavadno. V kraju, odkoder prihajam, je v maju 35 stopinj, tukaj pa 10 stopinj. Ne maram nositi veliko oblačil na sebi, zato ne maram hladnih mesecev. Ne morem verjeti, da je maj in ves čas dežuje.
Kako preživljaš prosti čas?
Nimam veliko prostega časa, saj delam kot prostovoljka pri organizaciji Slovenska filantropija, sicer pa se učim, vendar je tudi odvisno od mojega počutja. Ko nimam drugih obveznosti, se družim s prijatelji ali gremo na kosilo. Včasih tudi sama kaj skuham, sicer pa prosti čas preživljam v naravi, v parku, na Lentu ob Dravi, v majhnih vaseh, kamor kolesarimo. V Sloveniji je veliko praznikov, zato lahko takrat potujem in obiščem svoje prijatelje in tuje države. V Turčiji je namreč zelo težko dobiti vizo za potovanja.
Zakaj si se odločila pridružiti Slovenski filantropiji?
Zelo mi je všeč in zadovoljna sem z delom. Moj prijatelj je delal kot prostovoljec pri Slovenski filantropiji in je vedel, da raziskujem ekonomijo dela, sezonske delavce, otroško delo in imigrante, zato me je povabil, da se jim pridružim in tako sem poskusila.
Kakšno je tvoje delo?
Trenutno prevajam tekste iz angleščine v turščino in kurdščino, se igram in družim z otroki in podobno. Veliko je namreč otrok, ki so pred tremi meseci s starši pribežali v Slovenijo in ne znajo dobro slovensko, zato jim pomagam s prevodi. Pokličejo me, ko jim učitelji naložijo naloge, ki jih ne razumejo, nato se odpravim v šolo na pogovor in jim tako pomagam.
Kako bi opisala Slovence?
Zelo so prijazni, vendar lahko govorim le za krog ljudi, ki me trenutno obdaja. Nekoč smo se odpravili s prijatelji na vožnjo s kolesi in se ustavili v vasici, kjer smo se pogovarjali s prijazno starejšo gospo. Prosili smo za vodo, a nas je povabila, naj sedemo, nas vprašala, odkod prihajamo, vendar smo se žal zelo težko sporazumevali, saj nihče od nas ne govori slovensko, ona pa ni znala angleško. Uporabljali smo le znakovni jezik ter nekaj osnovnih besed, kot so zdravo, kako si, vendar smo se kljub temu imeli zelo lepo. Spominjam se tudi, ko sem šla pred časom v pekarno in sem se pogovarjala po telefonu v domačem jeziku. Starejši gospod je pristopil do mene in me vprašal, ali prihajam iz Turčije. Odgovorila sem, da sem Kurdinja. Zelo začudeno me je vprašal, ali je res. Odgovorila sem, da je. Nato me je vprašal še enkrat, ali sem res Kurdinja, in ponovno sem odvrnila, da sem. Povedal mi je, da je zelo fasciniran nad kurdskimi ženskami zaradi bojev v Siriji, nato me je objel.
Imaš v Sloveniji tudi kakšne negativne izkušnje?
Moje življenje v Sloveniji je zelo običajno. Nekoč sem govorila s slovenskim receptorjem, ki me je vprašal, zakaj se predstavljam kot Kurdinja in govorim drugačen jezik. Mislila sem, da se šali, vendar je nadaljeval z obsojanjem in kritiziranjem ter uporabil celo žaljivko za Kurde. Takrat sem se zelo razjezila in mu razložila svoja stališča, nato se mi je opravičil in dejal celo, da mu je žal, da nisva govorila že prej. To je bilo prvirkat, da sem se vznemirila v Sloveniji. Sicer živim zelo umirjeno življenje.
Se učiš slovensko?
Poznam malo slovenskih besed, na primer »zdravo«, »kako si« in »črna kava«, slednji je še posebej pomemben. Mislim, da je težko biti del skupnosti, če ne poznaš jezika. Vse jezike dojemam kot zelo pomembne, saj omogočajo komunikacijo med ljudmi. Ko sem obiskala Francijo, se tam govorila francosko, prav tako tudi ko sem bila v Švici, saj sem obiskala francoski kanton. V Nemčiji sem govorila nemško, ko pa sem prišla v Slovenijo, je nekdo pristopil do mene in rekel »kak si« v dialektu. Slovenski jezik se mi je zdel nenavaden, še posebej na Štajerskem, saj zveni zelo močno, moško, ne zdi se mi nežen, ženstven jezik.
Imaš svojo najljubšo slovensko besedo?
Všeč mi je »adijo«, saj zveni podobno kot španska beseda »adios«, všeč mi je tudi beseda »čuk«, saj tam preživim veliko časa (čitalnica Univerzitetne knjižnice Maribor), ko se učim, prav tako » me veseli« in »se vidimo«. Sicer sem obiskovala tečaj slovenščine, vendar sem se prej naučila špansko, saj je bilo na tečaju toliko Špancev.
Pridružila si se Živi knjižnici. Kaj je pripomoglo k tej odločitvi?
Seveda, pogrešam svojo družino in prijatelje. Pogrešam tudi domačo hrano, saj hrana v Sloveniji ne vsebuje toliko začimb, kot tista, ki jo jemo doma. Tudi naše začimbe so drugačne, zelenjava in meso prav tako. Kurdi si ne predstavljamo življenja brez mesa, še posebej ovčjega. Pogrešam veliko domačih jedi, kot so Lahmacun, še posebej pogrešam Dolmo, jed, ki jo odlično pripravi moja mama in podobno.
Kako si predstavljaš svoje življenje čez pet let?
Ne vem točno. Ne znam povedati za pet minut vnaprej, zato tudi ne morem povedati za pet let. Takšen je preprosto moj življenjski slog. Morda bi lahko postala raziskovalka na univerzi v Turčiji ali kakšni drugi državi, ali pa bom v petih letih vzpostavila nov sistem na območju Kurdistana. Trenutno poskušam razumeti vse, veliko se učim, raziskujem, zato da bom lahko kasneje nekaj spremenila na področju kooperativ in otroškega dela. Študiram na območju ob Črnem morju, kjer raste veliko lešnikov, ki jih iz Turčije izvažajo več kot trem svetovnim korporacijam. Večinoma jih obirajo otroci, kar je bil eden ključnih razlogov, da sem pričela z raziskovanjem otroškega dela in želim uvesti spremembe. Upam, da bo tudi Slovenija pričela s številnimi močnimi kooperativami. Mislim, da ste na tem področju precej šibki. Imate dobro zgodovino, zato se sprašujem, zakaj je ne izkoristite.
Ali želiš ostati v Sloveniji?
Včasih želim ostati in nadaljevati doktorski študij, včasih pa ne. Všeč mi je v Mariboru, saj imam veliko prijateljev, prostovoljno delam, vendar sem hkrati zaskrbljena zaradi otrok, ki jim pomagam. Brez mene bi bilo velikokrat izgubljeni. Rada bi se vrnila v Turčijo, saj imam tudi doma veliko dela, vendar se čutim odgovorno zanje. Imamo kar nekaj kurdskih migrantskih družin, s katerimi se dobro razumem in jim pomagam. Slovenija zame pomeni samo mejnik v mojem študijskem življenju.
Misliš, da ljudje v Mariboru sprejemajo migrante in begunce?
Zelo težko ocenim, saj sem večinoma obkrožena z ljudmi, ki so zelo vljudni in dovzetni za begunce, saj delajo z njimi in jim poskušajo pomagati, vendar ne morem posploševati. Kljub temu pa mislim, da je najbolj odvisno od posameznikovega značaja, ali je spoštljiv do sočloveka in mu je pripravljen pomagati, ne pa od narodnosti ali česa drugega.
Pridružila si se Živi knjižnici. Kaj je pripomoglo k tej odločitvi?
Sprva sem Živo knjižnico obiskala kot bralka, saj sem za ta projekt slišala že pred časom in po obisku sem bila zelo navdušena. Takoj sem se odločila, da tudi sama sodelujem kot knjiga in zelo se veselim svoje prve Žive knjižnice in srečanja z ljudmi v juniju na Art kampu.
[ENGLISH]
Insecure about her own future, which is about to be so big to change the world, and yet strong in her beliefs, opinions and desires. Oya came to Slovenia for new knowledge about labor and alternative economy and Maribor turns out to be her entrance to visit Europe for cooperatives. She reflects freedom and temperament, not only she firmly stares in the direction of her goals, she defends her heritage with pride as well and yet selflessly devotes her help to those, who need it most.
Why did you choose to come to Maribor?
I am Erasmus student here for eight months. In Turkey every university has some agreement with other universities and we have it with Slovenia, Portugal and Germany. I chose Slovenia, beacuse it is small and close to everywhere. My supervisor also told me to choose Slovenia, because people are really good, they are equal. I like it here, it is like I expected. Here is only Economy university, but I actually study labour economy.
Is Maribor very different from to the place you come from?
I think not specially, because nature is similar like in Turkey and we have similar houses, I also live near river. Even though at some point life in Maribor is not so similar to the place I live. People in our town are always outside, but here are individuals, keeping inside. There is something weird for me. I cannot see anyone on the street, it is really strange. People are working and then they just go home, day by day like a machine. Sometimes we make jokes with my friends, how do they leave from work, is it by car or aeroplane, because we really could not see anyone on the streets. But sometimes people here act similar to the people in my hometown. Old ladies usually ask a lot of question and are curious about you, they usually look behind you and here it is very much like at my home. When I came here more than 50 students came from Turkey and this could also be the reason why I feel so comfortable here and familiar with everything. We made friends but I also have many Slovenian friends.
What do you like about Maribor the most?
I like Vetrinjski dvor, Čajek, MKC, Slovenska filantropija.. I like the place near the river called Lent. We also have some secret place, but I do not know its name. It is close to student home where we live, but let us keep it a secret. Here are also some delicious places to order ice cream. I am ice cream lover and tried almost all the ice creams in Maribor. My favourite is on Smetanova street.
Is the weather in Maribor suitable for you?
The weather is crazy. In my city is now 35 degrees but here is 10 degrees in May. I do not like to wear so many clothes on myself in this season, it is May and how it is possible to always rain.
How do you spend your free time?
I do not have much free time, because I work as a volunteer at Slovenska filantropija and I have to study, but it depends on my day. When I have no work to do, I meet my friends, we go for a lunch, hang out. Sometimes I also cook by myself sometimes and for the rest of the time, I like to spend my free time in nature, in park, on Lent near the river and in small villages we visit with bikes. In Slovenia there are many holidays, so I usually visit some other countries, because visiting other countries from Turkey is really hard if you do not have the visa.
Why did you choose Slovenska filantropija?
My friend was a volunteer, he knew I have special interests in labour economy, seasonal agriculture workers, child workers, immigrants and he told me to go there and give it a try.
What are your assignments at Slovenska filantropija?
Currently I am translating something from English to Kurdish and Turkish, play game with the kids, hang out. The refugee kids came here three months ago, they do not know Slovenian language very well and sometimes they come to me and I translate things to them. They call me when teacher gives them something to do and they do not understand it. So I go to school and discuss it with teachers.
How do you feel about Slovenian people?
They are very nice, but I can only tell about this community I am a part of. I cannot speak about the rest. Once I was riding a bike with my friends and we visited small village. There was this old lady who was really kind. We asked for a water but she invited us to come and sit with her and asked where do we come from. She started to make conversation, but we do not know Slovenian language and she did not know English or anything, so we could only use body language and words like »zdravo«, »kako si«. But it was really nice time for me. I went to the bakery once and was talking on the phone in my mother language and some elderly man asked me if I was Turkish and I said I am actually Kurdish. And he asked really if I was Kurdish and so I replied that I am. He asked the same question again and I confirmed again. And then he explained he was so fascinated about Kurdish women, because he respects them so much for their fights in Syria and then he gave me a hug.
Do you have any bad experiences in Slovenia?
My life is normal and very relaxed here. Once I met a receptionist in Slovenia, who asked me why I present myself as a Kurd and speak Kurdish. At first I thought he was joking, but later on he continued judging and insulting me and even used bad words about Kurdish. I was so angry, but I explained my perspectives and later he said was sorry and asked why did we not talk about this before. But that was the first time someone disturbed me in such way, otherwise my life here is really peaceful.
Are you learning Slovenian language?
I know a little bit, words like »zdravo«, »kako si« and »črna kava«, the last one is especially important. Otherwise I think one cannot really survive in a community without knowing a language. All the languages seem really important to me, because they represent a way of communication between people. I went to France spoke French and visited French canton in Switzerland, where I also spoke French, and then I visited Germany and spoke German, but when I came here and someone said »kak si« with strong dialect. Slovenian language seemed strange language to me, because it sounded so strong and masculine and did not appear to me as soft, feminine language, especially here in Štajerska region.
Do you have favourite Slovenian word?
I like »adijo«, because it is similar to Spanish word »adios« and I like »čuk« (čitalnica Univerzitetne knjižnice Maribor), because I go there to study. And I like » me veseli« and »se vidimo«. I went to the Slovenian language course, but actually learned Spanish, because there were so many people from spanish speaking countries.
Do you miss anything from home?
I miss my family and friends, but I also miss our food, because our spices are different, vegetables also, but especially our meat is different. Kurdish people cannot live without meat, meat is very important to me, especially sheep meat. I miss our dishes like Lahmacun and special food my mother makes called Dolma. I miss our food at home.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
I do not know yet. I do not know about next five minutes, so I cannot really say five years from now. This is my lifestyle. Maybe I would become a researcher in university in Turkey or other country. Maybe in five years I would like to start maybe a new system on the area of Kurdistan, maybe start new cooperative back at home. Right now I am only learning, researching, trying to understand everything and later I would like to do something about child labour and cooperatives. This is my special area of interest, because I am studying in Black Sea region, which is rich with hazelnuts picked by children. More than three the big companies buy hazelnuts from Turkey where main labour force are children. I have been researching this and now would like to make a difference.
I also hope Slovenia will have a little of cooperative, because I think you should. I cannot understand why you do not have many and strong cooperatives and why you are very weak about this. You have strong, good history.
Do you plan staying in Slovenia for a long period of time?
Sometimes I am determined to stay in Maribor for phD and sometimes not. I like it here, because I have so many friends, I work as volunteer, but sometimes I want to go back, because I have work to do in my city too. I am especially worried about the kids. If I go back, the kids I work with on Slovenska filantropija, would be really lost. Generally I would like to return to Turkey, because I have so much work to do there too, we have some migrant families and we get along well, so I feel responsible for them. For me Slovenia is the education zone of my life.
Do you think there is a difference how people in Maribor are open to migrants and refugees based on your experiences?
I cannot really say. In general I meet people who are sensitive to refugees, but I can only say this for the community I live in and work with, they are polite. But I cannot say it for all. In the community I work with, I felt how they really want to help. But I think mostly it depends on person how you treat someone and willing to help, not nation, ethnicity or anything.
You decided to become the living book. Why did you decided to join?
I visited Living library like a reader. I have heard about it a long time ago and wanted to see it by myself and I was fascinated. I decided right away to become a book and I said why not give it a try. The first time I will be a book in June on Art kamp and am looking very forward.
foto: Canan Akdemir in Bektaş Aydın